Beginnings
by DawnRaindrop
Summary: The Second Wizarding War has ended. Hogwarts invited the Harry and the rest of his year to return the next year to complete their studies, merging classes with the new Seventh Years, and take their NEWTs. How does Draco cope? Definitely not without the help of Loony Lovegood.
1. Loony Lovegood

**Chapter 1 - Loony Lovegood**

_A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic! :D I had this lying around for several months before my friend, and also beta, read it. She convinced me to upload it so here it is. I have four chapters done so far for this fic and I had intended to do more but I kind of lost my motivation to do so. But it closes pretty well on its own by the fourth chapter, so... I'll see how it goes. Without much further ado..._

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Draco stepped out of the Hogwarts express, his expression set deeply in a frown. He glanced around him, as students hurried past him, chattering excitedly about the new school year. He brushed his platinum blonde hair aside, having forgotten to slick it back earlier.

He picked up his belongings as he headed for one of those carriages that transported the students to the school building. Noting that Pansy and Goyle had completely changed their attitudes towards him, Draco had finally come to terms with that truth that he was going to spend his last year in Hogwarts in solitude.

A couple of students brushed past him. He turned around to shout out a warning, or perhaps scare the wits out of the First Years. His eyes widened before he thought to close his slackened jaw.

"Potter," Draco acknowledged the man before him, trying not to spit the name contemptibly out of habit.

Potter regarded him for a bit, as did his ever-present pals Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He nodded slowly and spoke, "Good day, Malfoy."

The Golden Trio joined Ginny Weasley on one of the carriages before it started off towards the castle. Then, Draco noticed something dark that came before his intended carriage. His gaze fell upon a horse. He quickly took a few steps back.

It was no ordinary horse. It had dark but translucent skin stretched over its skeletal frame. The horse turned to look at him curiously. Its face seemed to belong to that of a dragon. Its eyes were glittering, but eerily empty. It spread its leathery wings. Feeling slightly intimidated, Draco looked towards the students who were climbing onto the carriage already. They did not seem to notice the horse that was pulling the carriage; in fact they were completely oblivious to its existence.

They glanced at him, wondering if he was going to enter the carriage. He shook his head, motioning for them to go ahead. _How was it that I hadn't noticed them for the past few years?_

"Hello, Draco," A dreamy voice came from his right. He turned quickly in that particular direction, first registering the cascade of dirty blonde hair, then the wand behind the girl's left ear and her Dirigible plum earrings.

"Loony," He said almost immediately. He clamped his mouth shut hastily, but the girl seemed to have heard it.

"Thestrals," She stated, her grey eyes staring into nowhere in particular.

"… Pardon?" He asked, wondering for a moment if that had been an insult in another language.

"The creatures drawing the carriages. They are called Thestrals," She said as the next carriage came. "Don't be frightened of them. They are quite gentle, really."

"I'm not frightened of them!" Draco said loudly.

Loony glanced at him with her perpetually wide eyes. "Many people would be, actually. They are a bit different from the others…"

Draco watched as she plopped down on one of the seats of the carriage. He climbed onto the carriage as well, warily regarding the Thestral. He watched as she pulled out the latest copy of the Quibbler, reading it upside down. Draco refrained from making a smart comment about that particular peculiar action.

"How are they different?"

Loony peered from over the Quibbler in her hands. "They can only be seen by people who have seen Death."

Draco's eyes widened, staring at the girl who went back to reading the upside down article in silence. He studied the Thestral who was pulling the carriage quietly, glancing at the blonde-haired girl every once in a while.

"You're in my year now," Loony's voice drifted to him. "This year's classes will be exceptionally large."

He let out an involuntary groan. "I can't wait."

She looked at him, appearing unusually surprised. "I thought you would've minded."

"I do," Draco covered his forehead and eyes with his palm. "I meant-"

"Oh," She nodded. "I see."

Draco noted that their journey was coming to an end and then he snapped back to reality. _What am I doing? I'm talking to Luna 'Loony' Lovegood!_

Loony hopped off the carriage and gave him a small wave, tucking her Quibbler back into her bag. Draco followed suit.

"Come on, Crabbe, Goyle-" He began, before stopping himself.

He stared after the blonde-haired girl who bounced towards the Great Hall, blending in (not really _blending_ _in_, considering how much she stood out) with the crowd. Merlin, even if it was Loony, it felt better to really have a companion.

**xxx**

Draco stepped out of his room, having enjoyed the shower and was looking forward to a good meal. The common room was filled with people. A sense of dread filled him as many heads turned towards him.

He cleared his throat and nodded, "Good day."

Some appeared surprised by this, while others knitted their eyebrows together in a disapproving manner. Draco shrugged mentally. It honestly could have gone a lot worse than this. Some of them started filing out of common room, heading straight for the Great Hall. Draco took his time, not wanting to rub shoulders with some of them.

When he finally did reach the Great Hall, he found that his seat had been taken by a lowly Fifth Year. Draco assumed his usual intimidating demeanour as he tapped his shoulder. The Fifth Year ignored him for a bit, before turning around to regard him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I believe that's my seat," Draco stated clearly.

"Really? I believe it is mine _now_, Malfoy," The Fifth Year told him dryly.

"How dare y-"

"Go ahead and run home to Mommykins crying, Malfoy. You can't make me."

The rest of the Slytherin table had turned to look at the commotion Draco had caused. He felt his ears burn as he gathered whatever was left of his bruised dignity and headed for the lower end of the table, with the First Years.

He settled himself down, the yet-to-be influenced First Years treating him indifferently. Thinking through, Draco would not have given a second thought about his stolen seat as long as he could have a nice quiet breakfast by himself.

"Hello, Draco," A dreamy voice practically floated by him.

He suddenly found his Cheeri Owls much more interesting than he did a minute ago. He kept his head down as the First Years shifted away quickly so that the table's newest addition sat across him.

"Draco?" The voice repeated herself, eliciting a nudge from the First Year sitting next to Draco.

Unable to keep the pretense, he looked up. "Loo- Lovegood."

She continued to consume her cereal before him. Draco glanced to his right, feeling his ears heat up as he caught the questioning stares of his peers. The sense of urgency rose in him as he turned quickly to the dirty blonde girl.

"What are you doing here, Lovegood?" He hissed.

"Well," She looked thoughtful. "You seemed lonely."

He was taken aback by her answer. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at his housemates again before waving his hand away. "You thought wrong. Go away, Loony. You don't belong here."

She blinked once, then another time. She stood up quietly, picking up her issue of the Quibbler and her cutlery. It took Draco that long for whatever he had said to sink in. Hastily, he opened his mouth but was silenced by the girl herself as she gave him a faraway look and said, "Watch out for the Blibbering Humdingers. They tend to get quite belligerent during mating season."

He stared after her as she drifted away from the Slytherin table. He clenched his knuckles tightly, losing his appetite for breakfast altogether. _Son of a Bludger, Draco! You can't even be decent to _one_ person!_

His gaze strayed to the Gryffindor table, where he caught sight of the Golden Trio, laughing and making merry. Then, he glanced at the First Years sitting around him. He took a deep breath.

Draco gripped the table tightly before he stood up abruptly, taking the First Year next to him by surprise. Feeling several pairs of eyes on him, he walked out of the hall briskly, taking care not to turn back. He scanned the corridors, thankful that most of the school was still in the Great Hall. He finally spotted the girl, heading off towards the Forbidden Forest.

He swallowed his saliva as he contemplated his options. _Was the Blast-ended Skrewt still on the loose there? Also, I have to take those Centaurs into consideration…_

_"You two-faced bastard!"_

_How great the mighty has fallen. Who would have thought that I, Draco Malfoy, would be so desperate to make friends with an oddball?_ He picked up his speed as he followed Loony, hoping not to lose sight of her.

"L-Lovegood!" He called out, grabbing her by the shoulder so she would not advance further.

"Draco?" She said, peering at him curiously.

"Don't mistaken," He started, trying to catch his breath. "When I said, 'you don't belong here.' I meant that you shouldn't be at the Slytherin table. I didn't mean-"

"I understand," She interrupted. "That's why I left."

Draco wanted to continue, but then thought better of it, knowing she had lost interest in the conversation. She travelled deeper into the forest, with Draco following behind. He grew uneasy, remembering the rather unpleasant experiences he had in this forest.

"Lovegood, I don't think we should be here," Draco spoke quietly.

"Perhaps not," She answered coolly.

He caught a glimpse of black, causing worry to engulf him. _Centaurs?_ He watched Loony approach it. He reached for his wand that he kept in his backpocket. He nearly heaved a sigh of relief. It was just a Thestral, not… Something else.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Loony murmured, though Draco could only guess she was directing the statement at him, since her gaze was fixated on the black creature.

Considering that Loony had been here more often on her own than him, it was a good idea to listen to her. However, she _was_ still Loony Lovegood… _I've already gone this far._ His hand left his wand and he approached the pair warily. Standing near them, he realised that the Thestral was not alone.

She gave him a small smile, lifting his left hand and placing it carefully in between the Thestral's eyes. She unclasped the sling bag she had brought along with her. The smell of raw meat wafted up into his nose. The Thestral motioned quickly towards the bag, having caught its scent. The abrupt action caused Draco to fall, quite ungracefully, to the ground.

Loony paid him no mind, pulling out a piece of meat from her bag and placing it on the ground for the Thestral. A smaller one came skittering by Draco, towards Loony as she held out another piece of meat. Watching as the rest of the Thestral herd slowly gather around the unshrinking girl, Draco found it hard not to admit that he realised that she was intrinsically different.

"What's your first period class?" Draco asked Loony.

"Potions," She answered after a pause, stroking the Thestral gently.

"Merlin," His eyes widening, he picked himself up quickly. "That's mine as well! We are running late, Lovegood!"

She did not respond, prompting him to grab her wrist and tugged her. "It's Seventh Year, Lovegood! We have NEWTs to prepare for!"

**xxx**

"Ah," Professor Slughorn beamed. "I'm glad you could join us, Draco, Luna."

"G-Good morning, Professor," Draco answered, mentally giving himself a slap in the face._ What a way to start afresh, Draco._

"Have a seat," Professor Slughorn said genially, gesturing for the two to take their seats.

Draco found a seat at the back of the class, where he quickly set to work. He ignored the looks he was getting from his housemates, telling himself that they would have found someone else to bother sooner or later. How he knew, was that he had been one of them, just a couple of years ago.

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_A/N: Alright, so what do you think of the first chapter? :/ Please leave a review! Those, to put it simply, make me very happy. :D_


	2. Friends

**Chapter 2 - Friends**

_A/N: Hello readers! Firstly, I'd like to thank you for the reviews! Really appreciate it. :) Alright I have another two more chapters before you guys decide if the story's worth continuing. I'm worried about OOC-ness and all. So... Yeah. Going ahead with the story now..._

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Draco slammed the door behind him quickly. He turned to the door and muttered, "_Muffliato_."

He listened as he heard footsteps rush by the door, some of them muttering something incomprehensible, but Draco was rather sure it was something to do with pummeling him the next time he was spotted.

He walked over to the sink and turning on the tap. He threw the bag he was carrying to floor, scooping up some water and splashing his face with it.

"Merlin's beard, Draco!" He half-shouted, gripping the corners of the basin. "What in the world are you doing?"

_"Hey, Draco. C'mere," Someone called me over. _

_"What is it?" I asked, peering over the shoulders of several of my housemates._

_ "Look at this," They presented to me a pair of shoes. "Where d'you think we should hide them?"_

_ "Well, how about the Forbidden Forest?" I scrunched my nose at the musty smell the shoes were emitting, before catching whiff of something familiar. "To whom do they belong to?"_

_ "Loony. Loony Lovegood," They cracked a smile. "At any rate, the Forbidden Forest is too dangerous."_

_ "Ah," I nodded. "I've got another suggestion: the Room of Requirement."_

"Draco?" A voice Draco had not heard in a while said.

He turned around in surprise, "Myrtle?"

"Come to visit me? I suppose not," She scowled. "You haven't done so in years."

"Really, Myrtle. It has been only one year," Draco said, he used the water to slick his hair back, tidying it slightly.

"Only one year?" She questioned, her voice turning shrill. "I thought you were different from Harry Potter."

He frowned after hearing this particular comparison. He chose to remain silent, not knowing how to reply to her. He picked up the bag he was carrying gruffly, stalking back to the door.

"What's that you're carrying?"

"Nothing important," He replied, pressing his ear against the door.

"Not important enough for me know, is it?" She asked accusingly, bursting into tears.

"H-hey, you're going to flood the bathroom, Myrtle!"

"That's all everyone ever cares about!" She whined, floating off to one of the cubicles.

There was a scream shortly after she did so. Draco turned back, alarmed. He readied his wand, wondering for a moment what he should do with the bag. "Myrtle?"

There was no reply, but the cubicle she entered creaked open slowly. He squinted, trying to focus in the dimly lit area. Suddenly, he was reminded of what happened two years back. Potter had been spying on him, they had a duel, which nearly resulted in his death.

Someone stepped out of the cubicle. "_Stupe-"_

"Draco?"

"… Lovegood?" Draco said in disbelief, lowering his wand. "What are you doing here?"

"Reading," She answered, curiously not asking him what _he_ was doing in the girls' bathroom.

"Oh, good," He said, his hair losing its slick again. "Then I needn't worry about lugging this around."

He peered at her bare feet, tossing her the bag. "Here."

She fumbled, missing the bag. She bent down, opening the bag. "My shoes! Where did you find them? I had thought the Nargles took them."

"I…" He searched for a way to explain himself. "The… Nargles were hiding it in the Slytherin common room."

"Queer hiding spot," She said, accepting his explanation immediately.

"Lovegood," He said clearly, before he began to stammer. "W-Would you... Would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

Seeing her puzzled expression, Draco quickly added, "As friends. If you would allow me to-"

"Sure!" She beamed. "I would love to go with you as friends!"

"Ferretboy asked Loony out! Ferretboy lurves Loony! Ferretboy luuuuuurves Loooooony!"

He gripped his knuckles white. "Put a lid on it, Peeves. The Bloody Baron is, after all, Slytherin's house ghost."

**xxx**

Draco felt for his wand, making sure it had not vanished into thin air. His eyes darted from side to side, keeping watch for any potential threat. A Slytherin not helping one of his own? That was quite the anomaly. Not to say the least, his actions the day before had cost him quite dearly. He had found his bed infested with flobberworms, in all of their squirming, mucus-exuding glory. The memory itself made Draco feel nauseous.

Then, he opted to sleeping the common room, where he woke up to a jinx used on him, presumably the _Levicorpus_ spell. Thankfully, there weren't any items missing from his trunk, yet. He loitered around Hogsmeade station, keeping a look out for his date for today.

"Draco," Lovegood greeted him.

He nodded, giving her a smile. "Where would you like to go?"

"Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop," She answered almost immediately.

He immediately choked on his saliva, and spluttered, "Why?"

Her bright silvery grey eyes peered into his grey ones. "Harry says students on dates go there. We are on a date, aren't we?"

"You told Potter about _this_?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," She answered simply. "Is there something wrong?"

Draco glanced around. Anywhere crowded should be better than this. In fact, that place would be excellent for cover. "No, nothing at all."

**xxx**

"What would you two sweethearts like?"

"Hot chocolate, please," Lovegood said dreamily, before glancing at Draco.

"… Something for the nerves," Draco answered, "… Coffee for me."

"Coming right up," The lady smiled.

Draco looked uneasily to his left, before turning away quickly. He had been here on several occasions with Pansy before. However, he never really noticed how… Unnerving this place was. _Probably because you were busy snogging Pansy in the corner._ His face heated up at the thought of it, choosing to focus on Lovegood instead.

"This place is… Different," She commented, dropping her gaze.

"Hadn't guessed that this was what Potter meant, did you?" He chuckled lightly, nodding to the lady who brought their drinks to the table.

"I did not think it would have included kissing," She said, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

After the drink, they decided that they would take a trip to Honeydukes, and so stepped out of the teashop to find several pairs of eyes staring at them. Immediately, Draco's hand went to his back pocket, before releasing his grip in shock.

"Your date is _Malfoy_?" Potter asked Lovegood, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Yes," She answered, appearing not to realise the severity of the matter at hand.

"Luna, why would you go on a date with _him_?" Potter's girlfriend asked her.

"He's a friend," Lovegood stated plainly.

Weaslette glared daggers at Draco, asking in a low voice. "Are you sure, Luna? He could very well be-"

"He's not." Lovegood insisted, and then adding, "He got my shoes back from the Nargles."

"It's more likely he stole them, Luna," Weaslette said with concern.

Draco, who did nothing to defend himself earlier, finally spoke, "Believe it or not, Potter. My want to be friends with Lovegood is genuine."

"Why the sudden change, then, Malfoy?" Potter asked him coldly.

Draco fell silent. "No reason."

"Harry…" Lovegood began.

Potter gazed at Lovegood, understanding seemed to pass them and Potter stepped back. "I trust your judgment, Luna. Although, Malfoy, I'll be watching."

"We'll _all_ be watching," Weaslette added, falling in step next to Potter as they left.

"Protective, aren't they?" Draco stared after the couple.

"We watch out for each other," She said with a smile. "That's what friends should be like."

Draco dropped his gaze. "… Right."

**xxx**

"I never knew you had a sweet tooth, Lovegood."

"Treacle fudges are yummy."

"I would have guessed," Draco gestured to the bag full of treacle fudges. "We'd better head back."

She followed him without so much as an objection. He felt the edges of his mouth tug upwards. It had been a while since he had so much fun. Last year, he had been woken up the difficult reality of being a Death Eater, something he realised he did not want anything to do with. He had missed being a normal student of Hogwarts so much it was actually painful.

"Lovegood…" He turned around to face her, his smile dropping when he realised who was behind her.

"Watch out," He said slowly, his head trying to register the information as Lovegood stared at him in bewilderment. "Luna, watch out!"

He dropped whatever he was holding to pull her away, but he was too late. The wand tapped against her head and she disappeared.

"What are you doing, Goyle?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Can't you tell? I just did a _diss-lusion_ charm," He grinned.

"That, I can see. Rather impressive," Draco said, advancing Goyle cautiously, one hand to his back, ready to pull out his wand. "But why did you do that for?"

"To punish you. Who would've thought that the Great Draco Malfoy would have fallen so low?" Pansy appeared from a corner.

"Hanging out with Loony of all people," She said nastily. "What are you doing? We were ready to let you return to your former glory. Yet you threw it away by helping _her_, a blood traitor."

Draco gripped his wand tightly. _Return to how it once was?_ He took a moment to think about his earlier years, times when he felt so much in power, so much stronger than all those weaklings…

Nevertheless, it was merely an illusion.

"The War is over, Pansy," He said. "The Minister of Magic has outlawed talk about this."

"That is not the main point," Pansy said. "Draco, are you ready to join Harry Potter and his gang and ditch your friends, become an 'exceptional pupil' of Slughorn's?"

"Wait just a moment," Draco spoke. "I didn't ditch you. _You_ ditched me. You told me how I was useless and unworthy. So what is this talk all about?"

"That is because you abandoned us! You abandoned us, along with your family during the War. Goyle's father and my parents are imprisoned, and your family gets off scot-free. How is that fair? How is being a coward _fair_?" Pansy shrieked.

As if on cue, Goyle pointed his wand at Draco. Draco motioned to deflect it, but the curse struck first. "_Crucio!_"

An intense pain welled up inside of him. He gripped his head as if his skull was being torn apart. He opened his mouth to let loose his cry of pain, but nothing could come out of his ravaged throat. _Stop it! Stop this! _He clawed at himself as another wave of pain of unknown origin surfaced. He heard the laughter of someone, he could not tell who was laughing. He kicked in desperation, thinking it could be stopped with a physical act. Searing blades were stuck through him, a cauldron of boiling oil tipped over on him.

Then, the pain stopped coming. It lingered in his mind, in every inch of his body. He lay in a pool of his own sweat. A strong gust of wind came, chilling him greatly.

"Draco!" Someone called him.

His eyes flew open; it took him a few moments for him to register his surroundings. He could see two people dueling, spells flying at each other.

"… Luna?" He said hoarsely.

A green light flew by the girl, missing her only by a hair. That had been the Killing curse. Did Pansy really want Luna dead? Why would she… Draco quickly picked himself up, pulling out his wand. He pointed it at the dark-haired girl and yelled, "_Stupefy_!"

**xxx**

The pain never really left him. His body still ached like it had never did before. Luna dabbed his forehead with a wet towel, he shuddered at its coldness. He let her continue, before he clutched her wrist. She stopped. Peering into the silvery depths of her round eyes, he asked quietly, "It hurt a lot, didn't it?"

She knew immediately what he was alluding to. "… Yes, it did."

He released his grip on her. "… I've never heard you scream during those months. But I think it made it all the more frightening. But it kept me deluded, that maybe… It didn't really hurt either."

He glanced at the girl, who shifted to sit next to him on the cold floor of the bathroom.

"This is the first time I ever felt the Cruciatus Curse. I can't possibly imagine how it was for you then."

Draco had never seen the girl quite as silent as she was now. She huddled her legs together, bending down so that her face was obscured. Her whole frame trembled, as if she was reliving the moments again.

"I got used to it, after a while. I kept telling myself that… That I had to be able to get through this as sane as I had entered. My father was waiting for me back at home. Harry… Harry and the others will come and save me soon."

Draco looked away, gritting his teeth as he tried to imagine how it had been like for her, as well as the others who had been imprisoned in the cellar of Malfoy Manor.

"Friends really are important. They give us happy memories to recollect in the future."

"Do you hate me, Luna?" Draco asked, his voice cracking. To be honest, he did not want to know her answer. "I would fully understand if you do."

"I don't hate you," She said. "When I saw you last year, I realised that you were just like me, trapped. Although for you, it was more of a mental thing. You didn't identify Harry and the others that time, which affirmed something: there _is_ some good to you."

Draco regarded her slowly, moving closer to her. She didn't budge. Draco did not know how to interpret it.

"You say friends watch out for each other, exchange happy memories together. Am I right, Luna?" He spoke steadily.

"Yes."

"Can I be your friend, then?"

"No," She said lucidly.

He inched away, feeling as if he was gutted in the pits of his stomach. The feeling of rejection stung greatly, he hadn't asked someone to be his friend in a while now. He sounded desperate… Undignified, even.

"No, because you already are, Draco," She said quietly.

He heard her. He could not resist breaking into a grin. Not really caring whether she minded anymore, he swiftly moved towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you."

* * *

_A/N: That's all for this chapter! Thank you for reading! I hope it wasn't too bad... :x Please leave reviews! I really appreciate them. :)_


	3. Thestrals

**Chapter 3 - Thestrals**

_A/N: Okay, I'm going to start off with an apology. I'm sorry for not updating for weeks. D: School's started over here and the work started piling from day one. So I really couldn't find the time to just come on here to update the story. Anyway, I would like to thank all of you very much for the reviews and support. :D Alright, just a warning though. I meant for this story to be fluffy so it's just gonna get fluffier from here, haha.  
_

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_By now, most of Hogwarts would have returned home for the holidays. I had been tasked with running an errand, a mere courier, to be exact. Although, to be honest, I wasn't too sure if I wanted to start raiding houses like many of the senior Death Eaters. Finally returning to Malfoy Manor, I was ready to turn in after supper. Sleep had been the only time I could escape from the harsh reality._

_ Merlin, Boggarts even found me in my sole sanctuary left. Of course, as much as I wished I could, I wasn't able to get rid of them with a spell. If anyone had been watching, I probably had woken up crying out "_Riddikulus!_". Gone were the times I could run into the arms of my parents after a particularly unnerving nightmare. _Ollivander._ His senseless, sometimes jarring, mumbling had a queer effect on me. Breathing heavily, I crawled out of my bed._

_ I peered into the darkness that was the cellar. "O-Ollivander?"_

_ "Hello, Draco," Someone said serenely._

_ I jolted, whipping my head around as I tried to locate the origin of the voice. My eyes finally rested on a pair of silvery grey ones._

_ "Loony?" I whispered._

_ "Luna, actually."_

_ I shut the door as quietly as I could before turning on the lights of the cellar. After adjusting to the brightness, I walked over to the girl, observing that Ollivander was more calm that he had been several times before._

_ "What are you doing here?" I asked._

_ "Death Eaters," She replied shortly. "I suppose it's because my father owns the Quibbler."_

_ "I've read some of the recent ones. It's hardly surprising, actually," I said, glancing at her outfit. "They took you right after school ended?"_

_ "Right after I stepped out of Hogwarts Express, yes," She nodded._

_ I nodded, knitting my eyebrows together as I leaned against the wall. After today's errand, I felt rather fatigued. Not to mention that it was the middle of the night._

_ "It must be the Wrackspurts," She said._

_ "… Pardon?" It took me a few moments to realise she was still talking to me, she sounded rather faraway._

_ "You look confused. Wrackspurts are invisible creatures. They float in through your ears, making your brain go fuzzy," She explained._

**xxx**

"The gathering a month ago was fine, considering it was, well, once. Or at least I thought so. But now this is becoming more of a weekly occurrence, Luna!" Granger's voice was shrill.

To be honest, Draco agreed with the mudb-, agreed with Granger. He was now guaranteed company on his weekends, but this also meant he also had to spend his weekends with Granger, as well as the rest of the Golden Trio.

"We are all studying for our NEWTs, aren't we?"

"That's not the problem, Luna," Weasley said in a low voice after they were awarded a glare from Madam Pince.

"I'm the problem," Draco stated plainly, something the rest obviously had difficulty spelling out.

"Draco-"

"I'm fine. I'll be over there," He assured Luna, picking up his books to seat himself in another corner of the library.

Draco tapped the desk while he read through his Potions book, his mind drifting off as he started to think about his school life now. He did not fit in anywhere, nor did he belong to any group. Previously, he had Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Blaise. Then, he had supposedly left them on his own accord. Come to think of it, it would perhaps have been better like this.

_"Mother, do I really have to return to Hogwarts?"_

_ My mother peered at me with concern. "Draco, I really do think you should. The war is over. We have to start afresh. We have to stop acting as if we are superior. We have no backing now. The Dark Lord is no more."_

_ "To survive, we have to accept the change that this war has brought. Your father and I have been forced to realise that that we cannot be resistant to change. We have to accept the mud- The muggle-borns as well as the muggles."_

_ "But always, remember your blood lineage."_

He turned to glance at Luna who had abandoned her studies to read her Quibbler. Previously, he had been Draco Malfoy, proud and the Death Eater wannabe. Now…

_Who am I, exactly?_

**xxx**

He coughed, wiping his mouth as he did. Those hits he took would definitely be more prominent later as bruises, scabs… Whatever. He wondered if he should take a trip to Madam Pomfrey later.

It had been a several months, but the beating had yet to stop. He could not exactly blame them, either. If it were him, he probably would have done the same. It actually felt better, eased his guilt a bit.

"What's the big deal with Luna?" Dean Thomas questioned.

"Why would it be of your concern?"

"If you had forgotten, Malfoy," He snarled. "We had been the prisoners of _your_ house a year ago. As long as you didn't bother us, I don't care what you do. But you're awfully close to Luna lately. Just what are you planning, Malfoy?"

"So you're thinking, 'Why is Luna hanging out with a Pureblood supremacist like him?'," He continued. "Maybe… Maybe he plans on using her to get back on Potter, because Luna's so _gullible_?"

Thomas gripped his collar tightly. Draco smirked, feeling the old him returning. "The War is over, Thomas. Don't you think there has been enough blood shed? I think so. At any rate, Luna's not gullible. If she had been, I probably would not have been able to befriend her."

Thomas hesitated, but reluctantly apologised for the attack. Draco smirked, "I'm at fault as well, for taunting, and for the War. If there was one thing I'd give you Gryffindors credit for, it would have been your sheer stupidity, as well as your loyalty."

"Saying that wouldn't have been the smartest thing, either," Thomas gave him a grudging smile.

_"We watch out for each other. That's what friends should be like."_

_You've made some good friends then, Luna._

**xxx**

"This reminds me of when I was in Fifth Year," She said dreamily.

"First time I'm invited here, actually," Draco told his partner, glancing at her spangled silver dress robes before quickly turning away. _Do I tell her that the laughter coming from several of the guests here was due to her choice of dress?_

"Ah, Draco, m'boy!" He heard Professor Slughorn call him over. "Good to see you."

He walked over to the professor, regarding the two next to him politely. He was quickly introduced to the two, both of which were influential and famous figures in the Wizarding World. He talked to several of the guests present, exchanging contacts, noting that this would serve him well in future. By then, he realised that he had completely forgotten about his partner. He began to search for the dirty blonde, wondering how could she so difficult to find, given that her dress gave her a rather distinct appearance.

When he finally found her (she had been idling near the refreshment table), he tapped her by the shoulder. She turned around, smiling at him. He returned the gesture, before looking up. He dropped the smile quickly and cleared his throat. "Potter."

"Malfoy," He nodded.

A moment of silence passed between them. Draco had wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but was held back by Luna. Potter appeared equally uncomfortable as him.

"You're here with Ginny Weasley?" Draco began awkwardly.

Potter looked like he would rather be anywhere but here right now. He nodded, his eyes darting away for a moment. "So's Ron. He's with Hermione."

Draco nodded, peering desperately at his partner, who was staring out of the window. She hummed slowly before turning to them. "The weather's really nice now."

Potter turned to the window. "Sure, for the Yetis, I suppose."

"It's perfect for Thestral riding, don't you think, Draco?"

Draco stared at her with a slackened jaw. _What did she just suggest?_ Instinctively, he turned to the nearest person for help, meeting the green eyes of Potter. He looked at him sympathetically, shrugging.

"I, uh…" Draco stumbled.

"Malfoy probably thinks it's a great idea," Potter piped in.

Luna turned around, "Draco doesn't seem particularly ecstatic…"

Potter leaned over and whispered, "Do you want to disappoint her?"

Draco cleared his throat, shooting a glare at the bespectacled git. He shook his head, forcing himself to give her a smile. "A Thestral ride sounds absolutely brilliant. I could just imagine the frosty wind in my face," He gave an involuntary shudder. "Though I'd suggest Potter and his friends come along too."

"Lovely suggestion," Luna lit up immediately. "Harry, what do you think?"

Potter gave him a bewildered look, causing Draco to smirk. _You asked for it, Potter._

**xxx**

Draco enjoyed the subtle glowers Potter was getting from his pals. Of course, he was treated with several of them as well, though, that was not the main point.

"So this is how they look like," Granger murmured as she walked towards one of the several Thestrals gathered before them.

"Two to a Thestral, everyone," Potter instructed.

Without so much as an objection, they climbed onto the Thestrals, Potter and Weaslette to one, Weasley and Granger to another. Luna and him was probably a given by now and probably the only way to avoid any casualties by the end of it. Draco quirked an eyebrow, "All of you have ridden on a Thestral?"

"Yes. In Fifth Year, when we went to the Ministry of Magic," Granger replied.

"Although then, we couldn't see them yet. Except for Harry and Luna," Weaslette added.

Draco was silent for a moment before he nodded. He watched as Potter took off on his Thestral, Weasley in tow with his. Luna motioned for him to follow her, hopping onto her Thestral.

"I'd hold on tight if I were you," Luna told him as she grasped the mane of the Thestral.

Draco slowly wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, taking care not to do so too tightly. _Blimey, Draco. Two years ago, you were perfectly fine snogging Pansy and now you have problems with _this_?_

_Shut up. Luna's… Luna's different._

Without warning, the Thestral took off, resulting in Draco screaming in horror until a moment later, when he realised what he was doing. He heard Luna do a rather uncharacteristic giggle. He scowled, his ears heating up.

"You're funny."

"Shut it," He said weakly.

* * *

_A/N: Alright. That's all I have for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! :D Have a great weekend!_


	4. Muggles

**Chapter 4 - Muggles**

_A/N: Hey everyone here's my late (and possibly, last) update for this story! I'd like to apologise again for the late update. Oh and the lovely cover image is provided by MellowedSeeker. Do check out her profile for some great Harvest Moon and Pokemon Special fics if you're interested. :)  
Alright without further ado, here's the chapter! Warning: It gets fluffier._

* * *

"Draco! Where are you going?"

Draco contemplated his answer carefully before replying his mother. _Would it have been time to…_ He wasn't sure if she was prepared for this.

"Just going out, mother. I won't be returning for supper," He replied, opening the door, a frosty breeze assaulting his face as he did.

"Make sure you don't stay out too late, young man," She reminded. "Oh and Draco?"

"Yes, mother?" He asked, not really bothering to hide his annoyed tone. He was running late.

"Do bring her over some time."

The winter wind felt much cold and biting than before. It probably had something to do with the blush creeping up his cheeks. He did not bother with a reply, hastily stepping out of the house. _Where was it that Luna had told him?_

_"Ottery St. Catchpole."_

_Oh, that was rather generic._ He closed his eyes, concentrating on that information alone, feeling the tugging sensation before he felt the usual feeling that came with Apparating.

"Malfoy!"

Draco jumped, stepping away as soon as the nauseous feeling faded from his stomach. He straightened his shirt. He coughed into his fist.

"Granger," He said, for once glad that he had finally dropped the habit of using the term 'mudblood'.

"What are you doing here?" She inquired.

"Visiting," Draco answered immediately. "Actually, not really. More of… Uh… Fetching someone."

She blinked, before giving him a knowing look, something Draco had grown to detest. "Things are progressing quite fast for the two of you…"

_What is it with people and sticking their noses in my business?_

"But wait, you're not dressed appropriately."

Draco frowned, staring at his choice of outfit. He definitely did not agree with that statement. After all, he picked it out himself.

"Give me a moment," Granger instructed him. "You stay here."

"I don't see how this is any better," Draco protested, looking at the set of clothes Granger had handed him.

"I don't care what you think, Malfoy," She said bluntly. "This is for the Wizarding World. Change into them when you reach Luna's."

Now that was just insulting. Nevertheless, Luna had probably talked to Granger about her date today, so he decided not to make a scene here.

"What are you doing here? Not home with your Muggle parents?"

She scrunched her nose, as if trying to decide if he had meant it as an insult. "No… I'm visiting the Burrow. Uh, the Weasleys," She added when she realised he did not quite grasp the term earlier.

He nodded. "By the way… Which way to Luna's…?"

Granger smirked, pointing to the left of Draco. Draco thanked her, hurrying off in the said direction.

**xxx**

"You're late," She stated plainly as she opened the door.

"I'm sorry," He smirked. "I assumed you didn't have a sense of time."

"Very funny, Draco," She replied. "Anyhow, that puts a crinkle in my plans."

Draco quirked an eyebrow, entering her house to change into the set of clothes that Granger had provided earlier. Luna was dressed differently today. Not in the usual sense that you would expect Luna to dress. Draco could not quite point out what exactly was it. After he was done, Luna pulled him out of the house before holding out a hand for him to take. He did as she wished, and he felt the same nauseating feeling he had several moments earlier.

"Merlin, Luna," He said upon reaching the destination. "You could've warned me first!"

"I apologise," She smiled, not looking apologetic at all.

"Where are we?" He asked after several oddly dressed passer-bys stopped to stare the two of them.

"Muggle London," She said cheerily.

Draco looked at her in alarm before realization hit him. _So this was what Granger was talking about…_

"How do you expect the two of us to navigate through Muggle London by ourselves?"

"I asked Hermione along, actually," Luna told him. "But she seemed rather resistant to the idea."

"So I came along," Someone else said.

"Potter?" Draco half-yelled as he turned around.

"I'm as happy about this arrangement as you, Malfoy," Potter pointed out plainly. "So let's just make it as painless as possible."

"This is supposed to be a date!" Draco hissed.

"I still can't trust you alone with Luna," Potter shrugged. "Be grateful it's only me, Malfoy."

Before Draco could continue, Potter disappeared under his Invisibility cloak. Draco gnashed his teeth together, staring at where he had last seen Potter. Luna strung her arm around Draco, calming him slightly.

"I always wanted to try out the arcade. They have people trapped in these boxes and you can control them," Luna said excitedly. "Sounds too magical for Muggles, but Harry says the people in them are fake."

They entered the arcade, a dimly-lit place, where it seemed the only light came from the various boxes scattered around the room. Several people crowded by some of the boxes, cheering every once in a while.

"Which one…" Luna pondered for a moment.

"I hear 'Pac-man' is quite popular," Came Potter's voice.

With that, Luna tugged Draco's sleeve, urging him to look for the box with the words 'Pac-man' on it. Upon finding one, Potter gave further instructions as how to use it. Using a stick of sorts that was attached to the box, Luna could control the direction of where the yellow ball on the screen would move. The yellow ball would eat up smaller white balls and then avoid the other colourful creatures that would constantly be chasing after the yellow ball. The game, in Draco's opinion, was rather senseless. _Well, it is only a Muggle's game._

Draco decided to try it after Luna. He went ahead, expertly guiding the yellow ball through the maze, avoiding the coloured characters chasing it. He even ascended to the next level, before he rammed his yellow ball straight into one of them, and it said 'game over'.

" 'Game over'?" Draco glared at the box. "What does _that_ mean?"

"I guess it means you lost, Draco," Luna supplied, rather unhelpfully. "You told me that earlier for my game."

"Suck it up, Malfoy," Potter whispered smugly.

"Let's see you better, Potter," Draco spat.

"Oh, I can't. I'm not _really_ supposed to be here. Have you forgotten?" He replied.

"I haven't." Draco shot back, "But you seem to have."

**xxx**

"Let's take a seat over here."

Draco turned to the Muggle couple about to take the seat to his left, where Potter was seated. He considered informing them that it was taken, before deciding against it. Potter could get seated on for all he cared and it would not have attracted as much attention as he would if he did tell them.

"I'm sorry, but the seat next to Draco is taken," He heard Luna inform the couple.

The couple shot her a weird look. Luna appeared oblivious. "It really is taken."

They exchanged a few words under their breath before walking away. Draco turned to Luna with a half-amused expression on his face.

"You could just let them try it out."

"Then Harry wouldn't have a seat," Luna protested.

"Serves him right."

Then, the huge white screen that was positioned before the rows of seats lit up abruptly, causing the three of them to jolt.

"Is this your first time here, Potter?" Draco sneered.

"In fact, it is," He answered coolly. "Being locked up in the cupboard under the stairs has its benefits."

Draco frowned; having lost the initial sense of fun he derived from poking fun at Potter. He turned his attention back to the screen. It was like watching a huge painting, not interacting with it. Also, the background of the painting kept changing. The painting even told several different stories through various music pieces. However, the ideas all seemed rather abstract to him. He could not comprehend for the life of him how a humanoid-looking mouse could suddenly use magic after wearing a wizard's hat.

"I think it's wonderful," Luna said dreamily.

"I beg to differ," Draco said in response, finally stepping out of the theatre, as Potter had called it.

**xxx**

"Alright, we're done," Draco declared after they Apparated back to Otter St. Catchpole.

He glared at Potter, who didn't budge. "We're _done_ now, Potter."

He blinked. "Right."

"So you could just… Leave," Draco suggested.

"You haven't walked her home yet. Are you planning on leaving-"

"Do you know what I planned?" He interrupted. "_I_ planned on going on a date with Luna. _Only_ Luna. Now, at least let me send her home _myself_."

Potter looked from Draco to Luna then back to him. "Sure. See you, Luna. Remember to come over to the Burrow sometime."

"Bye, Harry," She said cheerily as she waved.

Draco nodded, gesturing for the both to head back to her home. Snow was falling slowly upon the street. Luna hummed quietly as she caught a snowflake, it quickly melting in her warm hands. The surrounding environment grew dimmer as they strayed from the main street and neared Luna's house. By the time they reached the steps, there was barely any light, sans the fireplace inside.

Draco reached for his wand, wanting to cast Lumos. Luna placed a hand on his, shaking her head. Furrowing his eyebrows, his hand left the wand. Then, Luna leaned closer towards him.

He stood there, stunned as she quickly told him "Goodnight!" and hastily retreating into the house. For a moment, he was just stunned, as if someone had casted Full Body-Bind on him. The girl who had pecked him on the cheek ran back out, pushing his clothes into his hands before reentering.

He couldn't walk by the Burrow before Apparating back home, nor could he just Apparate back either. He was quite sure his face was still distinctly red.

* * *

_A/N: Aaand that's it! Thank you for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it. :) Hopefully I can continue this fic in the future. But it won't be anytime soon, either. :/ Do leave a review if you'd like me to continue the fic! It'd motivate me greatly. " Once again, thank you very much, and have a great week ahead. :)_


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